Sunrise Residents To Air Views On Hike In Cable Fee

SUNRISE — The city`s 12,000 cable television customers can voice opinions on a proposed rate increase for basic service when the City Council holds a town meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

American Cablesystems is requesting the increase, from $11 to $12.95 a month for basic cable service, effective June 1. Basic service includes only the cable channels that are offered to all subscribers.

Council members tentatively approved the increase last month, but must vote on it a second time on April 29.

The town meeting will precede the council`s regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30.

While American Cablesystems` proposal would increase rates for subscribers to the basic package, rates would stay the same for those who subscribe to at least two additional channels, such as HBO, Cinemax or the Disney Channel.

Subscribers to one additional channel would receive a slight increase in rates.

``If you have some of the other goodies, there would be no increase,`` Council President Dan Pearl said recently.

Council members expect that several residents will comment on the quality of the service they have been receiving from American Cablesystems. Yet both Pearl and council member Mike Stern say they have received few complaints from residents about cable service.

Still, Stern said it was important for the council to hold a town meeting before taking a final vote on the increase.

``This is the only time the city and consumers have a chance to apply some leverage on the cable company,`` Stern said.

He said that the city and residents will lose that leverage next year, when the federal government`s deregulation of the cable television industry goes into effect.

As of Jan. 1 of next year, the cable company will no longer have to come to the council for approval of a rate increase, Stern said.

Though Pearl and Stern say they have received few complaints, some criticism has been directed at American Cablesystems during recent council meetings.

When the council considered the increase last month, several residents complained about poor reception, interruptions of service and difficulty in reaching the company by telephone.